


A Morning by Waterfall

by KayaniAmber



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 13:04:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16913373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayaniAmber/pseuds/KayaniAmber
Summary: A response to a visual writing prompt on Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/r/dragonage/comments/9nu5ek/spoilers_alloctime_to_be_storytellers_the_dragon/Image link:https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/7c/a2/7ca293cb-abde-45d8-9a80-eb234515279d/.jpgA couple of weeks post-Trespasser, but before Dorian leaves for Tevinter. Be prepared for extra super sweet fluff. ^_^





	A Morning by Waterfall

Taelan took his tenth “quick look” at the blanket he was sitting on to make sure everything was in place for the ritual. Leliana...no, _Divine Victoria...that was going to take some getting used to_ , had helped him acquire most of the components and was kind enough to help him set everything up, despite her enormously busy schedule. He could manage to move larger items in both arms with the stump of his left arm, but smaller items, well...he'd have been there all day. Some of the more specialized items, such as the ritual goblet, Taelan borrowed from a local Dalish clan. Being a Keeper himself, the clan was glad to help and asked him no questions. After all, items used in a Dalish wedding ceremony were typically only used for such and needed no explanation.

Tae brushed a stray strand of his long red hair out of his eyes. Nervously, he went over to check the tent behind him to make sure everything was set and secure. The sooner the two of them could be together after the ceremony, the stronger the magic would be, and the stronger their bond. Taelan was not taking chances. Not with his lover's life potentially on the line.

_Ding! Tink, tink..._

Startled, he jumped slightly and searched for what had fallen. Picking up a golden key, Taelan allowed himself a brief chuckle before setting it in a place it was less likely to take another tumble. Another gift from Leliana. The key was to a door of a guest suite in the Winter Palace that The Divine had secured for them for the next week in a part of the guest wing that was, conveniently, quite suddenly in need of renovations. With the Exalted Council having dispersed a couple of weeks ago, the palace was relatively empty. Even so, Taelan was immensely grateful for the privacy they would have.

“Thank you, Leliana,” he whispered, taking his leave of the tent and returning to the blanket.

Sitting down on his knees with his legs tucked under him, Taelan put his hand in his lap and took a deep breath. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He'd already been through his wedding to his wife several years ago. This was the wedding he'd wanted then; just the two of them. When the Keeper's First marries the Keeper's daughter, well, the whole clan shows up.

Watching the waterfall to his left, Taelan absentmindedly ran his fingers over the vallaslin pattern on his chin. Some of the lines of the roots for, what would eventually be, the tree of Mythal, the Mother Protector. He'd had them added a couple dark blue lines at a time, each after the birth of one of his children. After the upcoming honeymoon week was over, he would return the borrowed items to the Dalish clan and have the Keeper apply the edges of the forehead piece, signifying his time in the Inquisition and the love that had grown from it. The cheekbone piece he'd had completed in two seperate stages several years ago. The top line when Keeper Deshanna chose him to succeed her as Keeper, and the rest he'd had filled in when he married Lyna.

Dorian knew about Taelan's wife and sons, of course, just as they knew about Dorian. Tae never would have considered a relationship with Dorian without Lyna's blessing, no matter how desperately he needed the support. He has no secrets with his wife, or soon-to-be husband. _IF he would ever get here._ The ritual will leave a mark on Dorian's soul, only visible to a Keeper, that will identify him as a Keeper's husband. Dorian will be considered one of the Dalish by the clans and given full rights and privileges under Dalish law. Being under Dalish law, their marriage will have no effect on his marital status in Tevinter, should that ever become an issue for him. Dorian was heading into great danger in Tevinter, and Taelan would be powerless to help him. This would allow Dorian to call on the Dalish for aid should he need to. Dorian could travel with a clan when he needed to, or take refuge within one. It was all Taelan could to to keep Dorian safe. He allowed himself a brief moment of despair. This didn't feel like it was enough, but it would have to do.

Taelan's dark blue eyes found the pair of rings resting in front of the unity candle. The Divine found someone in Halamshiral who was familiar with working with Ironbark, a Dalish woodcrafter, as luck would have it. She was happy to craft the rings, and give them a protective coating, according to Dalish traditions. Taelan himself had performed the blessings on the rings last night. He loved Dorian too much to let someone else do so. Someone else would not be as thorough as he had been.

“Sweet Maker, you do have a talent for picking beautiful places, Amatus.”

Taelan smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. _Finally._

“What is all this?” Dorian asked. “What's going on?” he added, seeing the tent behind Taelan.

“Please, sit, Vheilin,” Taelan replied calmly, motioning for Dorian to sit across from him.

“Vheilin?” Dorian asked while sitting. (VEY-ah-leen)

Dorian's grey eyes scanned the blanket, finally settling on the rings and unity candle.

“Oh, Taelan,” he whispered, overwhelmed.

“Speechless, I see,” Taelan quipped after a moment's silence, a sly smile on his face. 

“You seem to have a talent for that, too.”

Taelan lit a match and handed it to Dorian with a chuckle, before lighting a second one. Together they lit the two smaller candles on either side of the unity candle.

“You could have just used magic for that, no?” Dorian asked, blowing out his match.

“No. It can make the magic of the ritual behave weirdly. We always manually light them for safety.”

“Ah.”

“It means 'husband' in elvish,” Taelan finally answered. Dorian gave him a confused look. “Vheilin. It means 'husband'.”

Dorian gently cupped Taelan's hand in both of his with a slight smile and looked into the elf's dark blue eyes.

“I love you, Taelan Lavellan.”

Taelan smiled and gave Dorian's hand an affectionate squeeze.

“I love you, Dorian Pavus. For as long as you'll have me.”

“Forever.”

********


End file.
